July 17, 2006
Family Vacation Budget Tips
A family vacation is a great opportunity to unwind after a lot of hard work or school. Your children will love to go on an adventure trip for the summer and you will enjoy spending some quality time with your family in a beautiful setting. However, with the increasing cost of airfares and lodging, many people feel they can no longer afford to go on vacation. The good news is that with a bit of extra effort, you can plan a budget family vacation that everyone will enjoy. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Start planning in advance.
Search Tags:
Add this post to your bookmarks
del.icio.us Google Ma.gnolia StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo!
With summer almost here, many families are planning a family getaway. Traveling with kids can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a bit trying for parents, particularly when the kids are small. Small children often have very short attention spans, and they’re not able to become absorbed in reading a book for instance, to while away several hours of a trip. Trips are hard on kids of all ages, because most kids want to move around and do fun things. Smaller kids have the most difficult time with traveling though, because on short hour can seem like a whole day to them. So keeping them occupied while traveling can be a challenge. 
Although you may not be able to afford a summer vacation this year, there are no-cost, fun summer activities for the whole family. Here are a few ideas. 
by Stacey Schifferdecker
Wow, 2007 is almost over and 2008 is upon us. Now is the time for New Years resolutions. Now is the time to make resolutions that will help build a stronger, happier, and healthier family. For me there was so much I wanted to do with my family that I did not. However, it is not important to dwell about the past but look to 2008 with optimism and excitement. If you failed on resolutions in the past, make smaller ones that can be easily accomplished and build on those successes. Keep a list of your resolutions and small steps you will take to make them happen. Talk about your resolutions with your family, and have your spouse or kids help hold you accountable to those resolutions! In fact, everyone in the family should participate and hold each other accountable. For me there is nothing more powerful then my five year old looking at me in the eyes and reminding me what I had promised to do! Here are some resolutions for mom and dad to think about, and if your kids are old enough have them join in and come up with some New Years resolutions on their own. 
"Are we there YET?" You’ve heard this for the thirteenth time in three minutes and you’re nerves are about to shatter. "No, honey – we’re a lot closer now than we were." Then you get the whines and the moans from the back seat. This is something that a lot of people have had to deal with during a vacation or other family trip. Long hours in cars and on airplanes do not mix with small children! They have short attention spans and their little brains are programmed to run, jump and climb like monkeys. They have no desire to sit for several more hours until you reach your destination. 
Christmas break is over and for many of us Spring break is also ending. You children will be going back to school, probably moaning at least a little. But the last semester of school looms with numerous school holidays, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, spring break, Memorial Day, and of course parent-teacher conferences. In fact, there is not a single month between now and summer break when my children are not out of school at least one day. The kids may be delighted, but most parents find these breaks in the routine of daily life less fun. How can you survive school breaks with humor and grace?
